LeBron James wants to own an NBA team in Las Vegas
LeBron James made history last week when Forbes estimated his net worth at north of $1 billion, making him the first to reach the milestone while still an active NBA player. Now, he's revealed what he aspires to spend a significant chunk of that wealth to purchase: his own team.
"I want to own a team; I want to buy a team, for sure," James said on an episode of "The Shop" that will be released Friday. "I want a team in Vegas."
James, 37, will enter his 20th NBA season next year with a chance to tie Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for All-Star appearances if he can earn his 19th. During the 2021-22 season, James scored 30.3 points per game, his highest average since the 2005-06 season, but the Los Angeles Lakers finished 33-49 and missed out on the playoffs.
"I truly hope that I can finish my career with the Lakers," James said on a podcast last summer, via CBS Sports. "However many years that is, if it's four, five, six, whatever, seven. I hope I can continue to play the game. I love being in L.A., my family loves being in L.A."
For James to eventually own an NBA team in Las Vegas, he'd likely need an investment group. In May, the Minnesota Timberwolves were purchased by a group that included Alex Rodriguez for $1.5 billion. The NBA would also need to place a team in Las Vegas through relocation or expansion.
"At some point, this league invariably will expand, but it's not at this moment that we are discussing it," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said last week, via ESPN. Silver also described Las Vegas as a "wonderful market."
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